Display device for displaying articles in a bulged condition

ABSTRACT

A display device for displaying articles, such as socks, which are capable of assuming a normal flat condition. An upper sheet of the display device is connected at a pair of spaced portions to a lower support while a lower sheet extends between these spaced portions and between the upper sheet and the lower support so as to be slidable on the lower support with respect to the upper sheet. The lower sheet has opposed side edges situated beyond opposed side edges of the upper sheet, and a cover, when turned to an uncovering position, by its connection to one of the side edges of the lower sheet displaces the other of the side edges thereof toward a side edge of the upper sheet. The article which is to be displayed is connected at one end to this other side edge of the lower sheet and at an opposite end to a part of the upper sheet so that in response to movement of the edge of the lower sheet toward an edge of the upper sheet the article will bulge outwardly for assuming a convenient display position.

United States Patent 1 1 Valls Rius 1 1 Dec. 2, 1975 i 1 DISPLAY DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING ARTICLES IN A BULGED CONDITION [76] Inventor: Manuel Valls Rius, Avenida Balmes,

18, lgualada, Barcelona, Spain [22] Filed: Dec. 20, 1974 1211 Appl. No.: 534,666

[52] US. Cl. 206/4411; 206/45.11; 190/16; 206/45.15; 206/278; 206/472 [51] Int. Cl? B65D 23/12; B65D 1/22; B65D 73/00 [581 Field of Search 206/4411, 45.11, 45.15, 206/4518, 278, 491, 472, 483, 492; 190/16 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,261,806 11/1941 Hills 190/16 2,744,621 5/1956 Kcgevic 190/16 Primary ExaminerWilliam 1. Price Assistant Examiner-Douglas B. Farrow Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Steinberg & Blake [57] ABSTRACT A display device for displaying articles, such as socks, which are capable of assuming a normal flat condition. An upper sheet of the display device is connected at a pair of spaced portions to a lower support while a lower sheet extends between these spaced portions and between the upper sheet and the lower support so as to be slidable on the lower support with respect to the upper sheet. The lower sheet has opposed side edges situated beyond opposed side edges of the upper sheet, and a cover, when turned to an uncovering position, by its connection to one of the side edges of the lower sheet displaces the other of the side edges thereof toward a side edge of the upper sheet. The article which is to be displayed is connected at one end to this other side edge of the lower sheet and at an opposite end to a part of the upper sheet so that in response to movement of the edge of the lower sheet toward an edge of the upper sheet the article will bulge outwardly for assuming a convenient display position.

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 2, 1975 DISPLAY DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING ARTICLES IN A BULGED CONDITION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to display devices.

In particular, the present invention relates to devices for displaying articles such as socks and the like which are capable of assuming a flat condition.

A prospective purchaser of articles of this type seeks to inspect the article carefully in order to make a decision as to whether or not to purchase the article. If articles, such as socks and the like, are compelled to assume only a flat condition against a suitable display device, it is difficult for a prospective purchaser to make a suitable inspection. Moreover the articles are not displayed in their best possible manner with such a display device.

Thus, with conventional display devices there is the inconvenience of requiring the prospective purchaser to displace the article from the display device in order to make a suitable inspection, and the result is that the article which is to be purchased is not always displayed to its best advantage and creates in the mind of the purchaser a certain unfavorable attitude resulting from the necessity of the purchaser to carry out certain inconvenient operations in connection with inspection of the article.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a display device which will avoid the above drawbacks.

In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a display device capable of displaying articles such as socks and the like in such a way that these articles are in a bulged condition facilitating inspection thereof and displaying the articles to their best advantage when the articles are inspected by a prospective purchaser.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a display device capable of carrying a number of articles of the above type and capable of being manipulated in such a way that when the display device is opened for the purpose of laying the articles open for inspection, the articles will automatically assume a bulged condition, while when the display device is closed the articles will be protected and at the same time they will automatically assume their normal flat condition.

It is in particular an object of the present invention to provide a display device of the above general type which not only is capable of accommodating a plurality of articles such as socks of the like, but which in addition is capable of accommodating these articles in layers similar to the pages of a book so that the prospective purchaser can proceed from one pagelike display assembly to another with several of the articles displayed by each of the display assemblies.

It is in particular an object of the present invention to provide a display device of the above general type which is relatively simple and inexpensive and which displays the articles automatically in a bulged condition in response to normal manipulation of the display device by a prospective purchaser for the purpose of inspecting the articles.

According to the present invention the display device includes a lower support means and an upper cover means connected to the lower support means for turning movement with respect thereto substantially about a predetermined axis between a covering position covering the lower support means and an uncovering position uncovering the lower support means. An upper sheet is situated over and adjacent to the lower support means to be located between the latter and the cover means when the latter is in its covering position. The upper sheet has inner and outer side edges extending substantially parallel to the axis around which the cover means turns, with the inner side edge located closer to this axis than the outer side edge. The upper sheet has a pair of portions which are spaced from each other in the direction of the above axis and which are fixed to the lower support means to define between the upper sheet and the lower support means a free space which extends between the fixed pair of portions of the upper sheet. A lower sheet is situated in this free space and extends between the upper sheet and the lower support means, this lower sheet also having inner and outer side edges extending substantially parallel to the above axis with the inner edge of the lower sheet being situated closer to this axis than the outer edge thereof. The inner edge of the lower sheet is situated closer to the above axis than the inner edge of the upper sheet while the outer edge of the lower sheet is situated more distant from the axis than the outer edge of the upper sheet. Thus the lower sheet extends beyond the upper sheet at inner and outer side edge regions of the lower sheet. A connecting means connects the inner edge of the lower sheet to the cover means at a location spaced from the axis around which the cover means turns so as to respond to turning of the cover means from its covering to its uncovering position to displace the lower sheet with respect to the upper sheet in a direction which moves the outer edge of the lower sheet toward the outer edge of the upper sheet. A pair of attaching means are provided for attaching to the inner edge of the upper sheet and the outer edge of the lower sheet a pair of opposed end regions, respectively, of an article which assumes a substantially flat condition when the cover means is in its covering position and which is capable of bulging upwardly away from the upper sheet when the outer side edge of the lower sheet approaches the outer side edge of the upper sheet in response to turning of the cover means from its covering to its uncovering position. In this way the turning of the cover means will automatically bulge the article which is to be displayed outwardly into an attitude which is convenient for display purposes.

Thus, assuming that the device of the invention forms a display folder for socks, the invention provides a folding cover having a predetermined number of supporting leaves onto each of which is fixed, by its extremities, a card having one of the ends of the socks to be displayed fixed to a longitudinal edge of the card while the other end of the socks extends beyond the opposite edge of this fixed card and is attached to one of the longitudinal edges of a second card which is movable and slides beneath the fixed card, the opposite longitudinal edge of the second card being attached to the adjacent supporting leaf at a point removed from the folding line of the cover.

The fixed card may have two tongues or tabs extending outwardly from its opposed ends and received through corresponding slits which are formed in the supporting leaf, so that it is a simple matter to disassemble the display device and to exchange articles which are to be displayed.

The edges of the fixed and movable cards to which corresponding ends of the socks are fixed, are folded longitudinally so as to be bent backwardly upon themselves and overlie the ends of the socks so that the latter can be better preserved and protected.

In practice, the socks are mounted on protective cards the ends of which are joined both to end regions of the socks and to edges of the fixed and movable cards.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings which form part of this application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a display device of the invention shown in a partly opened condition;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary end elevation of the display device in its closed position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary end elevation showing the display device of the invention in its open condition; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section adjacent the left end region of the lower part of the structure shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 illustrating further details.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As is apparent from FIG. 1, the display device of the invention has a construction similar to that of a book. Thus, the display device shown in FIG. 1 has upper and lower substantially rectangular elongated plates 1, which may be made of a suitable cardboard or the like, for example, and which are similar to book covers. Assuming that the lower plate 1 of FIG. 1 rests on a suitable support surface, then the upper plate 1 forms a cover means which is capable of turning substantially about a predetermined axis between a covering position shown in FIG. 2 and an uncovering position shown in FIG. 3, this cover means formed by the upper plate 1 of FIGS. 1 and 2 being turned by the operator between its covering andn uncovering positions, respectively shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in a manner similar to opening and closing of a book.

The cover means which is formed by the upper plate 1 also includes an elongated strip 2 of a flexible sheet material which may be elastic, and this strip 2 is joined, by any suitable adhesive or the like, for example, to the inner surfaces of the plates 1 at the left edge regions thereof, as viewed in FIG. 2. As is apparent particularly from FIGS. 2 and 3, this elongated flexible strip of sheet material 2 is longitudinally folded so that it has a number of layers. Thus, referring to FIG. 2 it will be seen that the strip 2 has a lowermost layer fixed directly to the upper surface of the lower plate 1 at the region of its left edge, with the strip 2 then being folded upon itself so as to have not only an uppermost layer fixed to the inner surface of the upper plate 1 at the region of its left edge, but also a pair of additional layers situated between the plates 1 with these additional layers forming an upper layer and an intermediate layer situated between this upper layer and the lower plate 1.

A lower support means 3 is fixed to the lowermost layer of the strip 2 as well as to the inner surface of the lower plate 1 where this inner surface extends beyond the lowermost layer of the strip 2, so that the inner left edge region of the lower support means 3 becomes situated intermediate and lower layers of the strip 2 when the cover means 1, 2 is in the covering position thereof shown in FIG. 2. This lower support means 3 is in the form of a flat tube of sheet material, such as a suitable relatively heavy paper, for example.

An upper card or sheet 6 is situated over this lower support means 3 and has a pair of longitudinally spaced portions fixed to the lower support means 3. For this purpose the upper wall of the flat tubular sheet 3 is formed with a pair of slits 4, and at its opposed ends the upper sheet 6 has a pair of tabs 5, respectively forming the above pair of portions of the upper sheets 6, these tabs extending through the slits 4 into the space between the walls of the flat tube 3, so that in this way the upper sheet 6 is fixed to the lower support means 3. In addition it will be seen that a free space isdefined between the upper sheet 6 and the lower support means 3, this free space extending between the pair of portions 5 of the sheet 6 which are fixed to the lower support means 3.

In this free space is situated a lower sheet 10 which is slidable with respect to and between the lower sup port means 3 and the upper sheet 6 which is fixed thereto. As is apparent from FIGS. l-3, the upper sheet 6 and lower sheet 10 each have inner and outer side edges, and the inner side edge of each of these sheets is situated at the left in FIGS. 2 and 3, nearer to the axis around which the cover means 1, 2 turns than the outer side edges of the sheets 6 and 10, these outer side edges being situated at the right in FIGS. 2 and 3. Moreover it will be seen that the inner and outer side edges of the lower sheet 10 are situated inwardly and outwardly beyond the inner and outer side edges of the upper sheet 6, so that the inner side edge of the lower sheet 10 is located closer to the turning axis of the cover means 1, 2 than the inner side edge of the upper sheet 6, while the outer side edges of the lower sheet 10 extends to the right beyond the outer side edge of the upper sheet 6.

A connecting means is provided to connect the inner side edge of the lower sheet 10 to the cover means 1, 2 at a location spaced from the turning axis around which the cover means 1, 2 turns. This connecting means includes a part of the inner side edge region of the lower sheet 10 which is bent backwardly upon itself and which is joined, as by any suitable adhesive or the like, to the downwardly directed surface of the intermediate layer of the flexible strip 2, as viewed in FIG. 2. Thus, when the cover means 1, 2 is turned from the covering position of FIG. 2 into the uncovering position of FIG. 3, the inner side edge of the sheet 10 will be displaced toward the left from the position of FIG. 2 into the position of FIG. 3, with the result that the outer side edge of the sheet 10 will be displaced to the left, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, toward the center side edge of the upper sheet 6.

A pair of attaching means are provided for attaching opposed ends of the article to be displayed respectively to the inner side edge of the upper sheet 6 and the outer side edge of the lower sheet 10. In the example of the drawings, the article to be displayed includes the sock 8 and a flexible sheet 11 of cardboard or the like forming a layer beneath the sock 8. Of course instead of a single sock it is possible to provide a pair of socks on the layer 11. The ends of the sock 8 are joined with the ends of the layer 11, and the left joined ends of components 8 and 11 are attached to the inner side edge of the sheet 6 by an attaching means which includes an inner side edge region 7 of the sheet 6 which is bent backwardly upon itself asillustrated. Thus the left ends of components 8 and 11 are joined to each other and are joined in any suitable way to the bent-over edge portion 7 ofthe sheet 6. The opposed ends of a components 8 and 11 are also joined to each other and are joined in any suitable way to a bent-over edge region 9 of the lower sheet 10, this bent-over edge region 9 forming part of the attaching means for attaching the article to be displayed to the outer side edge of the lower sheet 10. i i

As is apparent from FIG. 2, when the cover means 1, 2 is in its covering position shown in FIG. 2, the article 8, 11 which is to be displayed assumes the illustrated flat condition. However, when the cover means 1, 2 is turned from the position of FIG. 2 to the uncovering position of FIG. 3, the outer side edge of the sheet 10 will move toward the outer side edge of the sheet 6, with the result that the distance between the edge regions 7 and 9 becomes shorter so that the layer 11 and the article 8 thereon automatically bulge outwardly to the condition shown in FIG. 3, rendering the article extremely convenient to inspect.

As is apparent from FIG. 1, the length of the display device of the invention is sufficiently great to accommodate a row of articles which are to be displayed, six of these articles being shown in FIG. 1 in a single row.

Furthermore, a second assembly, which is identical with the above-described assembly of the lower support means 3, upper sheet 6, and lower sheet 10 is connected between the upper plate 1 of the cover means and the upper layer of the folded strip 2, so that both of these assemblies overlie each other when the upper plate 1 is the only component which is turned, this component being shown in a partly turned position in FIG. 1. Thus when the upper plate 1 of FIG. 1 is turned further beyond the position shown in FIG. 1 in the uncovering direction, the lower sheet 10 of the upper assembly will be displaced with respect to the upper sheet 6 thereof so as to cause the upper articles which are visible in FIG. 1 to bulge outwardly for convenience of display. However it is possible to turn the upper assembly with the upper plate 1, in the manner of a page of a book, so that the device can assume a condition as shown in FIG. 3 where the lower assembly, which has been described in detail above, assumes the condition shown in FIG. 3 for automatically bulging the articles outwardly for convenience of display.

Thus, an extremely attractive display which emphasizes the quality and characteristics of the articles such as socks or the like is provided. When the cover means is returned to its covering position, the lower sheet 10 automatically returns to its original position so that the articles again assume their flat condition.

Moreover it is clear that as a result of the tabs 5 and slits 4 any pair of cooperating sheets 6 and 10 can be easily removed and replaced by another pair of sheets carrying other articles which are to be displayed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a display device, lower support means and upper cover means connected to said lower support means for turning movement with respect thereto substantially about a predetermined axis between a covering position covering said lower support means and an uncovering position uncovering said lower support means, an upper sheet situated over and adjacent said lower support means to be located between the latter and said cover means when the latter is in its covering position, said upper sheet having inner and outer side edges extending substantially parallel to said axis with said inner side edge located closerto said axis than said outer side edge, said upper sheet having a pair of portions which are spaced from each other in the direction of said axis and which are fixed to said lower support means to define between said upper sheet and said lower support means a free space extending between said pair of portions of said upper sheet, a lower sheet situated in said free space and extending between said upper sheet and said lower support means, said lower sheet also having inner and outer side edges extending substantially parallel to said axis with said inner edge of said lower sheet being situated closer to said axis than said outer edge thereof, and said inner edge of said lower sheet being situated closer to said axis than said inner edge of said upper sheet while said outer edge of said lower sheet is situated more distant from said axis than said outer edge of said upper sheet, so that said lower sheet extends beyond said upper sheet at inner and outer side edge regions of said lower sheet, connecting means connecting said inner edge of said lower sheet to said cover means at a location spaced from said axis for responding to turning of said cover means from said covering to said uncovering position thereof to displace said lower sheet with respect to said upper sheet in a direction which moves said outer edge of said lower sheet toward said outer edge of said upper sheet, and a pair of attaching means for attaching to the inner edge of said upper sheet and the outer edge of said lower sheet a pair of opposed end regions, respectively, of an article which assumes a substantially flat condition when said cover means is in its covering position and which is capable of bulging upwardly away from said upper sheet when said outer side edge of said lower sheet approaches said outer side edge of said upper sheet in response to turning of said cover means from said covering to said uncovering position thereof, whereby the latter turning of said cover means will automatically bulge the article to be displayed outwardly in an attitude which is convenient for display purposes.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said inner side edge of said upper sheet and said outer side edge of said lower sheet respectively have bent-over edge regions respectively forming parts of said pair of attaching means.

3. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said lower support means is itself in the form of a sheet, said sheet of said lower support means being formed with a pair of slits, and said pair of portions of said upper sheet respectively including a pair of tabs of said upper sheet received in said slits for fixing said upper sheet at said pair of portions thereof to said lower support means.

4. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said inner side edge of said lower sheet has a bent-over portion forming said connecting means and connected to said cover means for overlying a part of said lower sheet when said cover means is in said covering position thereof.

5. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said upper cover means includes a plate having an elongated side edge region extending substantially along said axis, and said cover means further including a strip of flexible sheet material connected to said side edge region of said plate and connected also to said lower support means, said connecting means connecting said inner side edge of said lower sheet to said strip of flexible sheet material of said cover means.

6. The combination of claim and wherein said flexible strip of sheet material of said cover means is longitudinally folded upon itself in the general direction of said axis and has when said cover means is in its covering position a plurality of layers at least one of which is situated at an elevation higher than another to provide said strip of sheet material with upper and lower layers, and said strip of sheet material having in said covering position of said cover means an intermediate layer situated between said upper and lower layers thereof, said lower support means being connected to said lower layer of said flexible strip of sheet material between said lower layer and said intermediate layer thereof while said inner side edge of said lower sheet is fixed to said intermediate layer, and a second assembly of said lower support means, upper sheet, and lower sheet fixed to said upper layer of said strip of sheet material and being identical with the first assembly composed of said lower support means, upper sheet and lower sheet, so that when said cover means is turned to said uncovering position thereof a selection between said assemblies in the manner of selecting pages of a book can be carried out.

7. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said sheets have a length in the general direction of said axis sufficiently great to accommodate a plurality of the articles arranged in a row between said pair of portions on said upper sheet.

8. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said article includes a layer of cardboard and a sheet-material member on said layer of cardboard connected therewith by said pair of attaching means to said inner edge of said upper sheet and said outer edge of said lower sheet.

9. The combination of claim 6 and wherein a second plate is fixed to said strip of sheet material and is situated beneath said lower support means to form with said first-mentioned plate a structure in the nature of book covers.

10. The combination of claim 9 and wherein said lower layer of said strip is situated between said second plate and said lower support means. 

1. In a display device, lower support means and upper cover means connected to said lower support means for turning movement with respect thereto substantially about a predetermined axis between a covering position covering said lower support means and an uncovering position uncovering said lower support means, an upper sheet situated over and adjacent said lower support means to be located between the latter and said cover means when the latter is in its covering position, said upper sheet having inner and outer side edges extending substantially parallel to said axis with said inner side edge located closer to said axis than said outer side edge, said upper sheet having a pair of portions which are spaced from each other in the direction of said axis and which are fixed to said lower support means to define between said upper sheet and said lower support means a free space extending between said pair of portions of said upper sheet, a lower sheet situated in said free space and extending between said upper sheet and said lower support means, said lower sheet also having inner and outer side edges extending substantially parallel to said axis with said inner edge of said lower sheet being situated closer to said axis than said outer edge thereof, and said inner edge of said lower sheet being situated closer to said axis than said inner edge of said upper sheet while said outer edge of said lower sheet is situated more distant from said axis than said outer edge of said upper sheet, so that said lower sheet extends beyond said upper sheet at inner and outer side edge regions of said lower sheet, connecting means connecting said inner edge of said lower sheet to said cover means at a location spaced from said axis for responding to turning of said cover means from said covering to said uncovering position thereof to displace said lower sheet with respect to said upper sheet in a direction which moves said outer edge of said lower sheet toward said outer edge of said upper sheet, and a pair of attaching means for attaching to the inner edge of said upper sheet and the outer edge of said lower sheet a pair of opposed end regions, respectively, of an article which assumes a substantially flat condition when said cover means is in its covering position and which is capable of bulging upwardly away from said upper sheet when said outer side edge of said lower sheet approaches said outer side edge of said upper sheet in response to turning of said cover means from said covering to said uncovering position thereof, whereby the latter turning of said cover means will automatically bulge the article to be displayed outwardly in an attitude which is convenient for display purposes.
 2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said inner side edge of said upper sheet and said outer side edge of said lower sheet respectively have bent-over edge regions respectively forming parts of said pair of attaching means.
 3. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said lower support means is itself in the form of a sheet, said sheet of said lower support means being formed with a pair of slits, and said pair of portions of said upper sheet respectively including a pair of tabs of said upper sheet received in said slits for fixing said upper sheet at said pair of portions thereof to said lower support means.
 4. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said inner side edge of said lower sheet has a bent-over portion forming said connecting means and connected to said cover means for overlying a part of said lower sheet when said cover means is in said covering position thereof.
 5. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said upper cover means includes a plate having an elongated side edge region extending substantially along said axis, and said cover means further including a strip of flexible sheet material connected to said side edge region of said plate and connected also to said lower support means, said connecting means connecting said inner side edge of said lower sheet to said strip of flexible sheet material of said cover means.
 6. The combination of claim 5 and wherein said flexible strip of sheet material of said cover means is longitudinally folded upon itself in the general direction of said axis and has when said cover means is in its covering position a plurality of layers at least one of which is situated at an elevation higher than another to provide said strip of sheet material with upper and lower layers, and said strip of sheet material having in said covering position of said cover means an intermediate layer situated between said upper and lower layers thereof, said lower support means being connected to said lower layer of said flexible strip of sheet material between said lower layer and said intermediate layer thereof while said inner side edge of said lower sheet is fixed to said intermediate layer, and a second assembly of said lower support means, upper sheet, and lower sheet fixed to said upper layer of said strip of sheet material and being identical with the first assembly composed of said lower support means, upper sheet and lower sheet, so that when said cover means is turned to said uncovering position thereof a selection between said assemblies in the manner of selecting pages of a book can be carried out.
 7. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said sheets have a length in the general direction of said axis sufficiently great to accommodate a plurality of the articles arranged in a row between said pair of portions on said upper sheet.
 8. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said article includes a layer of cardboard and a sheet-material member on said layer of cardboard connected therewith By said pair of attaching means to said inner edge of said upper sheet and said outer edge of said lower sheet.
 9. The combination of claim 6 and wherein a second plate is fixed to said strip of sheet material and is situated beneath said lower support means to form with said first-mentioned plate a structure in the nature of book covers.
 10. The combination of claim 9 and wherein said lower layer of said strip is situated between said second plate and said lower support means. 